Container kit

ABSTRACT

A container kit including a rectangular base ring with mounting structure on opposite sides of a base ring for engaging battens on opposite sides of a pallet. There is a first pair of rectangular side panels, each with a bottom adapted to engage in channels between upper base ring flanges and lower base ring flanges, and a second pair of like panels, each with a bottom adapted for engaging between upper base ring flanges and lower base ring flanges. The second panel pair is disposed between the first panel pair, thereby preventing the disconnection of all panels from channels between the upper and lower base ring flanges, with latches for connecting adjacent sides of the panels of the first and second panels.

This invention relates to goods containers of the knock down typecomprised of sides adapted for mounting on a pallet directly or througha base. Such containers may, and usually do, include a lid.

In the past there have been many attempts to provide a container of theabove type, one such is disclosed in the patent application number81490/91 by the same applicant. However, there is always the need for acontainer which performs substantially as well as those which have gonebefore but is of a more economical design. This invention has taken theart of design for such containers a step further and provides a simple,robust, economical design which can withstand the rigours oftransporting difficult products, such as liquids, which produce highstresses on the container under dynamic conditions. In addition thepresent invention provides a container design which minimises theproblem of `bag pinch` which can now occur with some presently knowncontainers.

Bag pinch occurs where under dynamic loads the container flexes in a waywhich provides gaps into which the plastic film liner bag of thecontainer is forced by its liquid contents. When there is a reversal orreduction in the forces acting on the container the gaps close and thebag portions in the gaps can be damaged by pinching. Where pinchingoccurs the liner bag is most often weakened to the point where thelikelihood of rupture becomes a possibility or, as can occur under someconditions, the pinching results in an immediate rupture of the linerbag.

Broadly stated, one form of the invention provides a container kitcomprising a rectangular base ring which includes a pair of flangesinwardly directed from each side of the base ring thereby forming ahorizontally inwardly directed mounting channel with an upper flange anda lower flange, mounting means on two opposite sides of the base ringincluding lugs extending inwardly to engage under the distal edges ofbattens on opposite sides of a pallet thereby to mount the base ring ona pallet, a first pair of rectangular side panels each having a top, twosides and a bottom with an out-turned lug means of thickness allowingentry into the mounting channel, a second pair of rectangular sidepanels each having a top, two sides and a bottom with an out-turned lugmeans of thickness allowing entry into the mounting channel, the widthof the panels of the second panel pair between the sides thereof is lessthan the width of the panels of the first panel pair and the panels ofthe second panel pair are disposed between the first panel pair andprevent bodily movement of the panels of the first panel pair todisengage the lugs means thereof from the engaged base ring channels,and latching means to connect adjacent sides of the first and secondpanel pairs.

In another form the invention provides a container kit comprising arectangular base ring which includes a first flange inwardly directedfrom each side of the base ring, a second flange inwardly directed fromeach side of the base ring narrower than the first flange and spacedfrom and parallel to the first flange, support pads on the first flangeslocated between the first and second flanges with a height less than thespacing between the first and second flanges, mounting means on twoopposite sides of the base ring including lugs extending inwardly toengage under the distal edges of battens on opposite sides of a palletthereby to mount the base ring on a pallet, a first pair of rectangularside panels each having a top, two sides and a bottom with an out-turnedlug means of thickness allowing entry between the support pads and thesecond flanges on two opposed sides of the base ring, a second pair ofrectangular side panels each having a top, two sides and a bottom withan out-turned lug means of thickness allowing entry between the supportpads and the second flanges of the other sides of the base ring, thewidth of the panels of the second panel pair between the sides thereofis less than the width of the panels of the first panel pair and thepanels of the second panel pair are disposed between the first panelpair and prevent bodily movement of the panels of the first panel pairto disengage the lugs means thereof from the engaged base ring flanges,and latching means to connect adjacent sides of the first and secondpanel pairs.

Presently preferred forms of the invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the essential parts of thecontainer kit of the invention in relationship to a pallet, specificallythe base ring and one each of two types of container panel sides,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one part of a base ring of the kit,

FIG. 3 is an sectional edge view of the part shown in FIG. 2 on thesection line 3--3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an sectional edge view of the part shown in FIG. 2 on thesection line 4--4 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a second part of a base ring of the kit,

FIG. 6 is an sectional edge view of the part shown in FIG. 5 on thesection line 6--6 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is an sectional edge view of the part shown in FIG. 5 on thesection line 7--7 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the manner ofmounting the base ring on a pallet, and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the manner ofmounting an alternate form of base ring on a pallet.

The container of this invention comprises a base ring member 1 and fourside members, herein after called panels, 2,3,4,5. A panel (not shown)to act as a lid where liquid transport is to be undertaken or wheresecurity of the container is required may be provided.

FIGS. 2 to 4 show the inner base component 6 of the two part base ringmember 1. The component 6 is a rectangular frame having four sides7,8,9,10. The sides are made of right angle steel joined at the cornerswith vertical flanges 11 and upper horizontal flanges 12. Fixed to theupper faces of the flanges 12 there are strategically located pads 13 toprovide a clearance for a floor sheet to be described and it is to benoted that the pads 13 terminate short of the inner edges of the sides 7to 10 to provide lands 14 to support the floor sheet.

On the side 10 there are two inwardly under-hook members 15 convenientlymade of angle iron. The top edges of the members 15 stop short of theface of the flanges 12.

FIGS. 5 to 7 show the outer base component 16 comprised of four sides17,18,19,20 comprised of right angle steel joined at the corners with anupper horizontal flange 21 and a vertical flange 22. The upper flanges21 are cut away at 23 to form notches for a purpose to be disclosedlater.

The inner and outer base components 6-16 are fixed together, as bywelding, in a relationship to provide the base ring configuration shownin FIG. 1 and in the fragmentary sectional view FIG. 8. It will be seenthat the underface of the horizontal flange 21 of the component 16 isspaced above the top face of the pad 13 and that the bottom edges of thevertical flanges 22 sit upon the top edges of the members 15. Further,it will be seen that the hook limb of the member 15 is adapted to engageunder a long edge of a pallet batten 24 which lies below the flange 8.Opposed to the fixed members 15 and removably fastened by screws 42 tothe base ring side 8 of the member 6 there are complementary demountablehooks 15a. The form and mounting of the base ring 1 to a pallet 43 isthus clear.

The side panel pairs 2,4 and 3,5 are adapted to be engaged with the basering 1. The essential features of the panel sides can be seen from FIG.1 and in the case of the panels 2 and 4 those features are top andbottom rails 27,28 joined by uprights 29,30. There are three horizontalreinforcing rails 31 end connected to the uprights 29,30. The members 27to 31 are made of right angle steel with inner flanges forming a planarinner face and with horizontal out-turned flanges. Holes 32 are providedin the inner flanges of the uprights 29,30 and inturned portions 33 ofhooking elements are provided at regular intervals along the inner facesof the uprights 29,30. It is to be noted that one of the portions 33 isat an elevation above the holes 32, this is desirable but not absolutelyessential. The spacing between the portions 33 and the inner flanges ofthe uprights 29,30 is such as to receive the thickness of a sheet ofplywood or the like fixed to the inner flanges of at least the members27 to 30 and the thickness of the inturned flanges of the uprights ofthe end panels 3,5 now to be described.

A typical end panel 34 is shown in FIG. 1. Its form is generally thesame as the side panels 2,4 in that the material is right angle steeland there are top and bottom rails 35 and 36, uprights 37 and 38 andreinforcing rails 39. Hand grips 40 are mounted on two of thereinforcing rails 39. Slide bolt retainers 41 are associated with theuprights 37,38 and when the panels are mounted on the base ring theslide bolts 44 mounted in the holders 41 will be aligned with the holes32.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 8, in an assembly operation to form a containeron a pallet, the base ring 1 would first be mounted by means of theunder-hooks 15-15a to the pallet 43. A first side panel 2 is loweredvertically onto the base ring so the bottom ends of the uprights 29,30enter the notches 23 and then the side panel is moved bodily outwardlyto enter the horizontal flange of the bottom rail 28 of the side panel 2between the pads 13 and the base ring flange 21b where the horizontalflange of the bottom rail 28 will rest on the pads 13. The second sidepanel 4 is likewise positioned between the pads 13 and the flange 21.The side panels can adopt a slightly upwardly outwardly divergentrelationship because of the clearance required between the pads 13 andthe flanges 21 and 21b to allow the horizontal flanges of the bottomside rails 28 to be positioned as described.

The end panels 3 and 5 are then mounted in a similar manner with theends of the uprights 37 and 38 in the notches 23 and by outward bodilymovement the horizontal flanges of the bottom rails 36 are disposedbetween the pads 13 and the flanges 21a and 21c of the base ring 1. Asthis is done the side panels 2 and 3 are moved back to vertical so thatthe edge flanges of the uprights 37,38 will enter under the portions 33on the panels 2 and 4. Minimal clearance is provided to minimise thepossibility of relative movement of the sides when the container is inuse, thereby minimising the likelihood of bag pinch. It is to beunderstood that all of the panels 2,3,4,5 are internally clad withplywood or the like.

When the engagement just described has been achieved the slide bolts 44will be operated to engage in the holes 32 to lock the side panels 2,4to the ends panels 3,5. It will be understood that the end panels 3,5when mounted between the side panels 2,4 prevent inward movement of theside panels 2,4 and so disengagement of the side panel lower rails frombelow the flanges 21 and 21b is not possible whilst the end panels 3,5are in place. In a similar manner when the bolts 44 are engaged theyform pivot points for the end panels but pivoting is not possible todisengage the bottom flanges of the end panels from the below theflanges 21a, 21c because of the engagement of the flanges of the endspanels with the portions 33 above the bolt holes 32.

FIG. 9 shows an alternative arrangement where the pads 13 are notprovided and the horizontal flanges 12 are no wider than the edges ofthe flanges 21 of the base member 16. With such an arrangement the floorpanel 45 rests directly on the battens 24 of the pallet 43 and not uponthe portions 12 of the members 7,8,9,10. The horizontal flanges of therails 28 and 36 are in this arrangement disposed directly between themembers 7 (8,9,10) and 21 and are not supported on the pads 13.

A suitable lid would be provided, typically made of right angle steelwith flanges to project downwardly to embrace the top rails 27,35 of theside and end panels. Any suitable lid retaining-locking means could beused.

In The foregoing is to be understood as being a description of presentlypreferred embodiments of the invention and the parts and theirinteraction can be varied without departing from the inventive conceptherein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:
 1. A container kit comprising a rectangular base ring whichincludes a pair of flanges inwardly directed from each side of the basering thereby forming a horizontally inwardly directed mounting channelwith an upper flange and a lower flange, mounting means to mount saidbase ring to a pallet, a first pair of rectangular side panels eachhaving a top, two sides and a bottom with an out-turned lug means ofthickness allowing entry into the mounting channel, a second pair ofrectangular side panels each having a top, two sides and a bottom withan out-turned lug means of thickness allowing entry into the mountingchannel, the width of the panels of the second panel pair between thesides thereof is less than the width of the panels of the first panelpair so that when all panels are assembled on a base ring with the lugsof the panels engaged with said mounting channel the panels of thesecond panel pair lie between the panels of the first panel pair andprevent the lugs of the panels of the first panel pair from beingdisengaged from the mounting channel, and latching means to connectadjacent sides of the first panel pair and the second panel pair.
 2. Acontainer kit as claimed in claim 1 including pads on inner faces of thelower channel flanges and spaced from inner faces of the upper channelflange sufficiently to allow the lug means of the panels pairs to enterbetween said pads and the inner faces of the upper flanges of the basering.
 3. A container kit comprising a rectangular base ring whichincludes a first flange inwardly directed from each side of the basering, a second flange inwardly directed from each side of the base ringnarrower than the first flange and spaced from and parallel to the firstflange, support pads on the first flange located between the first andsecond flanges with a height less than the spacing between the first andsecond flanges, mounting means on two opposite sides of the base ringincluding lugs extending inwardly to engage under the distal edges ofbattens on opposite sides of a pallet thereby to mount the base ring ona pallet, a first pair of rectangular side panels each having a top, twosides and a bottom with an out-turned lug means of thickness allowingentry between the support pads and the second flanges on two opposedsides of the base ring, a second pair of rectangular side panels eachhaving a top, two sides and a bottom with an out-turned lug means ofthickness allowing entry between the support pads and the second flangeof the other sides of the base ring, the width of the panels of thesecond panel pair between the sides thereof is less than the width ofthe panels of the first panel pair so that when all panels are coupledby their lug means engaging under the base ring flanges, the panels ofthe second panel pair lie between the panels of the first panel pair andprevent the lugs on the panels of the first panel pair from beingdisengaged from the base ring flanges, and latching means to connectadjacent sides of the first panel pair and the second panel pair.
 4. Acontainer kit as claimed in claim 3 where said base ring mounting meansincludes lugs fixed to one of said base ring opposed sides and lugsdemountably connected to the other of said base ring opposite sides. 5.A container kit as claimed in claim 3 where the panels of the first andsecond panel pairs comprise a frame made of angle metal withcorresponding first legs in a common plane and covered with sheetmaterial which is fixed thereto and the other legs extend away from thesheet material, the said other legs of the angle metal at the bottom ofthe panels providing the lug means.
 6. A container kit as claimed inclaim 5 where said latching means comprises hook means and manuallymanipulatable bolt means, said hook means includes portions spaced alongthe sides of the panels of the first panel pair which overlie said sheetmaterial and are spaced therefrom to allow the other legs of the anglemetal forming the sides of the panels of the second panel pair to enterbetween said portions and said sheet material, and said bolt meansincludes sliding bolt members mounted on the panels of said second panelpair and sliding bolt accommodating holes through the first legs of theangle metal forming the sides of the panels of the first panel pair andthe sheet material fixed thereto.